Can't forget dwarf fortress, the freeware game that inspired Minecraft. Written by two Asperger's brothers. It was super heartwarming when, after times they had to stop working on the game and move down lawns to make a living, they finally published on steam and became independent.
I haven't followed Dwarf Fortress in awhile but don't they have a publisher now?
It seems like KittiFox Games was what they needed. Hooked them up with graphic artists, helped them publish the game, make the updates more regular and "meaty" (I'm guessing working as a sort of an agent). I'm guessing not everyone in the industry is an EA or that french assasins creed studio.
I might not be 100% correct, but the game is now even somehow multithreading, improving performance and introducing some bugs.